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Recently, the Ministry of Rural Development has notified fresh wage rates under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for financial year 2022-23. The wage rates are notified under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005. The MGNREGA wage rates are fixed according to changes in the CPI-AL (Consumer Price Index-Agriculture Labour), …

Recently, the Government of India introduced in the Lok Sabha the Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022. The bill envisages to prohibit financing of any activity in relation to WMD and to empower to act against financiers of such activities. The bill seeks to modify …

Recently, Scientists detected the presence of IgG antibodies against Nipah virus infection (NiV) in 51 bats that were captured from Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Antibody, also called immunoglobulin, is a protective protein produced by the immune system in response to the presence of a foreign substance, called an antigen. A wide range …

Recently, the Haryana Vidhan Sabha has passed a resolution seeking completion of the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal. The canal, once completed, will enable sharing of the waters of the rivers Ravi and Beas between Haryana and Punjab. The Satluj Yamuna Link Canal is a proposed 214-kilometre-long canal connecting Sutlej and Yamuna rivers. Water resources …

Recently, the standing committee of Parliament has criticised the functioning of the development programme for de-notified, nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes. The committee noted that the Scheme for economic empowerment of Denotified Tribes (DNTs) communities has total outlays of Rs 200 crore for the period of five years from 2021-22 and the Department could not spend even a single …

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has launched the Broadcast Seva (BS) Portal. The portal is likely to help 900 satellite TV channels, 70 teleport operators, 1,700 MSOs, 350 Community Radio Stations (CRS) and 380 private FM channels, among others. It is a 360 degree digital solution that will facilitate stakeholders in seeking permissions, applying …

The Prime Minister of Nepal visited India and held a summit meeting with the Indian Prime Minister. Earlier, the Union Cabinet had cleared a plan to build a new bridge connecting India and Nepal over the Mahakaliriver and link Dharchula in Uttarakhand with Nepal’s Dharchula. Highlights: Launched the 35-km cross-border railway line linking Jaynagar in …

Ahead of the World Health Day (7th April), the World Health Organisation (WHO) has released Air Quality Database 2022, which shows that Almost the entire global population (99 %) breathes air that exceeds WHO’s air quality limits. The WHO for the first time has taken ground measurements of annual mean concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2). It also includes measurements of Particulate …

Recently, the Supreme Court struck down the 10.5% internal reservation to Vanniyakula Kshatriya community in Tamil Nadu The Supreme Court held that 10.5% internal reservation to Vanniyakula Kshatriya community violates the fundamental rights of equality, non-discrimination and equal opportunity of 115 other Most Backward Communities (MBCs) and De-Notified Communities (DNCs) in Tamil Nadu. The allotment …

Recently, India signed a historic trade agreement with Australia, the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (Ind- Aus ECTA). In February 2022, India and Australia announced that they were going to sign such an agreement. The negotiations for India-Australia ECTA were formally re-launched in September 2021 and concluded on a fast-track basis by the …